Nasa Selects New Design For Shuttle Rocket

July 17, 1987|The New York Times

WASHINGTON -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Thursday that it has essentially chosen its final design for the space shuttle`s new rockets and will use heaters rather than new O-ring materials to protect against cold weather.

John Thomas, manager of the design team for the rockets at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said the new design is ``essentially in production right now,`` although the space agency is continuing to pursue alternatives in case the new design fails to pass various tests scheduled over the next year.

The design he described Thursday differed only slightly from plans previously announced. The new rockets will be based heavily on the old solid- fuel rocket that has long been used to boost the shuttle into the atmopshere, with the major exception that modifications will be made to strengthen the faulty joints and seals that were blamed for the Challenger disaster.